Traveling to / from the French Riviera region

Visiting the French Riviera can be an adventure in and of itself. It's well served within France by the French train system, but how do you get from one town to another, or to France itself if you're coming from abroad?

By Plane

To get to the French Riviera by plane, your best bet is to fly into the Nice airport. The Nice airport is international, but it only receives flights from within Europe, so if you're coming from the US, for example, you'll have to fly through London or Paris. The Nice airport is quite small, but it's well-organized and very close to the city. You can get to Nice from the airport (and vice versa) via a shuttle bus that will take you directly to the terminal you need.

Alternatively, you can fly to Paris and then take the train from the Charles de Gaulle airport train station, just below the arrivals terminals. This is often a more economical choice, and you are also able to reach the center of various Riviera towns like Nice, Cannes, Antibes and Monaco.

By Train

If you're planning on travelling around the Riviera and don't want to rent a car, the train is your best bet. The French train system is nationalized, and most Riviera towns have an SNCF train station at their center. For traveling around the Riviera and France in general, you usually do not need to book your ticket too far in advance. The only exceptions are the high-speed TGV (trains grands vitesse) which need a reservation and are usually more expensive than the local Corail trains.

Trains along the Riviera have the added bonuses of being inexpensive (a ticket on the local train between most Riviera towns will cost less than 20 euro) as well as being gorgeous. The train lines run along the beach for most of the Riviera, so make sure you grab a seat on the side of the train facing the water for exquisite views of the Mediterranean sea as you ride.

Be aware of the fact that trains do not run all night, so if you're planning on seeing more than one town, either pick a home base and know when the last train out leaves (schedules are available in every train station), or else move around and rent a hotel. Luggage can be stored at train stations for a small fee, so you don't have to cart your baggage around as you sightsee.

By Car

Arguably the best way to see a lot of places in a short period of time is by car (or motorcycle or scooter, if you're traveling alone). Cars can be rented from the arrival airport and allow you the freedom and mobility to visit multiple places without having to wait for trains. There are also some towns that are not easily accessible by train that you can reach quite easily by car.

If you haven't driven in France or in Europe before, be aware of several things: most cars in Europe are manual/stick-shift cars, so if you need to drive an automatic, be sure to tell the car rental agency and be prepared to pay a bit more. French roads are also different from American roads: detours and turnoffs may be indicated less frequently than on US highways, and most French roads are dotted with numerous two-lane roundabouts. French drivers are also generally more aggressive than American drivers, so be prepared to be assertive should you decide to drive along the coast. The views that you can access by car and motorcycle, however, are truly unforgettable and worth having to lean on your car horn and maybe learn a few colorful French phrases for!